Boston Marathon: First-timer thinks crowd will be amazing

Michelle Hanson has never run the Boston Marathon — or any marathon for that matter.

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By Jay Pinsonnault

seacoastonline.com

By Jay Pinsonnault

Posted Apr. 16, 2014 at 2:00 AM

By Jay Pinsonnault
Posted Apr. 16, 2014 at 2:00 AM

» Social News

Michelle Hanson has never run the Boston Marathon — or any marathon for that matter.

However, that will change when she will be one of thousands of runners who step up to the starting line in Hopkinton, Mass., on Monday to run the world's oldest marathon.

Hanson, 43, and 1988 graduate of York High School, will be running for the Mass. General Pediatric Oncology Program.

Hanson lost her mother to cancer 14 years ago and was inspired to run this year from her friends.

"I have some friends who are on the Mass. General team and I ran the Reach the Beach with them," Hanson said. "I spent some time with them and there were some changes I wanted to make in my life and what I wanted to do. I started to think what it would be like to run this year, so I decided to do it."

Hanson, as part of the Dana-Farber team was required to raise a minimum of $5,000; at last check, she was at $14,000 and "still raising."

The running resume of Hanson consists of the Reach to Beach relay and four 5Ks.

"When I told people what I was doing they were kind of surprised," Hanson said. "Some took a wait-and-see attitude, and others were excited from the get-go. I want to finish smiling, uninjured and ready to do it again."

She still doesn't believe she is about to run the Boston Marathon.

"The crowd is going to be amazing," she said. "My family and friends will be at mile 20. I am looking forward to that and the finish line. I am going to do something I never thought in a million years I could do, but I am going to do it and I know I can do it. It's just unbelievable."

Hanson hopes this is not her first and last marathon.

"Running has added so much to my life," she said. "I feel better and it's a good mental check-out time. Every week when I was doing my long run, I would say I can't do six, nine, 10, 12 miles and then I do it. There's a little bit of a mental thing going on, but I think getting past 10 miles was the turning point. I am doing things I never thought I could do. My dad was a Marine, so maybe my next one will be the Marine Corps Marathon."